Cleaner



C. A. HOFF Aug. 16, 1932.

CLEANER Filed April 25, 1930 INVENTOR CHESTER A.' f/OFF.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHESTER A. HOFF, F AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR T0 THE KRISTEE MANUFACTURNG COMPANY, OFF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OE OHIO CLEANER Application led April 23, 1930. Serial N'o. 446,503.

This invention relates to cleaners and particularly wall and ceiling cleaners.

The general purpose of the invention is to provide an improved wall or like cleaner including a cleaning element of sponge rubber and a holder or tool capable of eifectively applying said element to the surfaces to be cleaned.

A further purpose of the invention is to provideV an element as described above comprising a sheet of sponge rubber and a holder about which said sheet may be wrapped or folded and secured to present at least one and preferably two broad fiat bearing surfaces for application against the surfaces being cleaned which insures greatest cleaning efliciency.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a cleaner including an element of sheet sponge rubber and a holder for the same over which it is adapted to be wrapped under tension and secured thereunder so that the sheet is firm and does not flop about or creep on the holder which renders the cleaning less effective.

A further purpose of the invention is to provide a holder as set forth above Awhich is of hollowr triangular channel shape in section with the opening of the channel in the base thereof into which the edges of the sheet sponge may be tucked and to provide means, preferably including a screw extending out of said channelrlg'clamping plate and a nut arranged in a -Handle for the holder, for 5 clamping the sheet to retain said edges thereof in the holder.

The foregoing and other purposes or objects of the invention are attained in the o cleaner shown in the accompanying drawing and briefly described below. 1t is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific form thereof shown.

Of the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is an elevation of a cleaner em- .bodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a section along line 2-2 of Fig'- ure 1;

Figure `3 is a transverse section through the cleaner;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the cleaning element employed therein; and

Figure 5 1s a side view of the improved cleaner shown as applied to a wall in a position of use.

Referring to thedrawing, the numeral 10 represents a hollow or tubular handle which may be adapted to receive an extension such as a pole 11 for long reaches. The handle 10 has a nut 12 secured therein adjacent an end thereof as-by crimping the metal of the handle 10 about the nut as indicated at 13, 13 and preferably also by means of a pin 14 extending through the handle into the nut.

The handle 10 is accordingly designed to be threaded onto a screw 15 preferably secured as by welding of its head 15 in the inner vertex of a hollow triangular channel member 16 preferably formed from sheet metal, the base of said channel member being formed with a slot through which the screw 15 projects. The channel member 16 is' designed to have a sheet 17 of sponge rubber Wrapped or folded about the same with opposite edges thereof tucked into the channel (Fig. 3) and a clamping plate 18 is provided to be arranged on screw 15 and.v

to be clamped against the sheet 17 to hold the same on the channel member. The clamping plate18 iswprovide'd with upwardly bent flange portions 18", 18a. for gripping the sheet 17 when clamped, these portions being opposite flanges 16, 16a on the holder 16 at the sides of the sheet receiving slot in the base thereof. The sheet 17 is preferably of rectangular shape with the corners thereof cut off vas at 17a whereby when the sheet is wrapped about the holder there will be no tendency for the corners of these sheets to project so as to interfere with effective manipulation of the cleaner in corners.

It will be apparent that the channel member 16 so supports the sheet 17 as to present two broad flat surfaces A and B which are arranged at such angles to the handle 10 as tov permit effective application of these surfaces to a surface to be cleaned with the handle directed away from the surface (see Fig. 5).

The sponge rubber element is provided with vits cells exposed at the surfaces thereof and it V preferably contains a cleaning chemical reagent with which it may be impregnated. The pores or cells of the sponge have a benecial suction action therein tending to draw the dirt into the cleaner and the rubber acts to clean in the manner of eraser without smearing.

In use the cleaner is applied to the surfaces to be cleanedrand rubbed thereover under sufficient pressure as shown in Figure 5 to thor-1- oughly remove dirt clinging to said surface. When one surface of the sheet has become saturated with dirt, the sheet may be removed and reversed on the holder and the other side used. When both sides of the sheet are saturated with dirt the sheet may be Washed with warm water and soap and rinsed and upon thorough drying may be reused. The cleaner uses a comparatively thin and inexpensive sheet of sponge rubber which provides a maX- imum ability to absorb dirt with a minimum volume of rubber. The thin sheet sponge rubber alsodries quickly for reuse. The sheets 17 are, of course, easily replaceable when they are worn out.

The cleaner may be successfully used on walls and ceilings, whether papered, paint` ed or sized, and also on window shades, upholstered furniture; etc. It is particularly advantageous' because of the dry cleaning whereby smearing is avoided and the oors or floor covering are not littered or soiled with droppings.

Modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaner comprising a tubular( handle havinga nut secured in one end thereof, a hollow channel member of triangular shape in cross-section with the opening in the channel defining a slot in the base of the triangle, a screw secured in the vertex of the member and projecting through said slot, a clamping plate received over` said screw, anda sheet of sponge rubber with exposed cells folded about said channel member with its ends tucked in said slot, said clamping plate gripping said sheet between itself and the base of said channel member, said nut and screw being adapted to press saidclamping plate against said sheet and to secure the channel member and handle together.

2. Ina cleaner the combination of a sheet of sponge rubber and a holder therefor comprising a. hollow member about which said sheet may be wrapped, said lholder having a slot therein through which opposite edges of the sheet may be tucked into the holder.

` 3. Ina cleaner the combination of a sheet of sponge rubber,- a holder therefor comprising a hollow member about which said sheet may be Wrapped, said holder having a slot therein through which opposite edges of the sheet may be tucked into the holder, and

means for clamping said sheet against the holder at opposite sides of said slot.

4. In a cleaner the combination of a sheetof sponge rubber, a holder therefor comprising a hollow member about which said sheet may be Wrapped, said holder having a slot therein through which opposite ed es of the sheet may be tucked into the hodder, and means for clamping said sheet against the holder at opposite sides of said slot, said means including a removable clamping plate.

5. In a cleaner the combination of a sheet of sponge rubber, a holder therefor comprising a hollow member about which said sheet may be wrapped, said holder having a slot therein through which opposite edges of the sheet may be tucked into the holder, and means for clamping said sheet against the holder at opposite sides of said slot, said means including a removable clamping plate,l a handle and interengaging means on the holder and handle for drawing the same together.

6. A cleaner including a cleaning element in sheet form, a holder therefor comprising a hollow member formed with a slot whereby said sheet may be Wrapped about said member and opposite edges thereof tucked into the slot, and means eXteriorly of the holderl for retaining said edges in'said' slot.

' 7. A cleaner including a cleaning element in sheet form, a holder therefor comprising a hollow member formed with a slot whereby said sheet may be wrapped about said member and opposite edges thereof tucked into the slot, and means for clamping said sheet at the sides of the slot.

holder comprising an elongated element triangular in section about which the said sheet may be applied, means for securing the sheet by its edges at the base of the triangular element, and a handle extending perpendicularly from the base of the triangular element whereby when either face of the sheet upon the sides of the triangular element is applied flatly against a surface said handle will extend angularly from said surface.

10. A wall cleaner comprising a sheet of sponge rubber and a holder therefor, said holder comprising an elongated element triangular in section about which said sheet may be applied, and lmeans for securing the sheet by its edges at the base of the triangular element, whereby two Hat faces of the sheet material are provided on the sides of the holder for application to a wall.

11. A wall cleaner including in combina- 6 tion a sheet of sponge rubber, a holder about which said sheet may be applied and having a flat bearing surface to support an intermediate portion of the sheet flatly for application to a Wall, and means for clamping 10 opposite edge portions of the sheet in the holder.

CHESTER A. HOFF. 

